IOPN Journals (Illinois Open Publishing Network)
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Children Survivors of Family Violence: A Framework for Enhancing Mental Health Literacy among Helping Professionals
Full text linkFamily violence is a widespread issue that significantly impacts children, often leading to mental and physical health problems (Barnett et al., 2010; Lopez et al., 2021). Despite various interventions and programs, the problem persists. Collaborative efforts across educational, legal, and healthcare systems are essential to ensure the safety and well-being of children and families (Abura-Meerdink & Mehra, 2023; Wallace et al., 2019). This study reviews literature on children\u27s coping behaviors, assesses service gaps, and maps existing resources within a framework useful for helping professionals. Using the American Psychological Association’s PsychInfo (i.e., a database used by mental health providers) the following Boolean search strategy identified 127 relevant articles:
• (child* AND ("domestic violence" OR "domestic abuse" OR "intimate partner violence" OR "family violence") AND (coping OR cope) AND TX ("united states*" OR "america*" OR "u.s.")).
The authors conducted content analysis of the articles’ titles/abstracts using the Association of College and Research Libraries’ (ACRL) (2016) Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education, with a focus on mental health literacy for children. The findings were mapped to the six ACRL Frames, offering valuable insights for educators, librarians, and mental health professionals to improve teaching, learning, and practice competencies (Mehra & Jaber, 2021)
Re-Imaging Public Librarianship Education: And No, Not for Social Work
Full text linkThis paper demonstrates the importance of historicizing seemingly novel phenomenon as a means of defamiliarizing what is presented as obvious and inevitable. Thus, the popular constitution of the library as community hub and the placement of social workers therein is problematized when read against a parallel history involving the introduction, in the 1960s, of social workers into the library to assist in the delivery of community Information and Referral services (I&R). Starting from the question, if social workers are the solution, what is the problem their employment in public libraries is meant to solve, a literature search of social work and library science databases was conducted followed by a textual analysis of the research revealing competing narratives about professional competencies and legitimacy. The analysis surfaced critical questions regarding the current state of public librarianship and why a return to the reference desk might be a good idea
Can First Language Information Literacy Support Second Language Information Literacy Development? A Translanguaging Perspective
Full text linkThe field of library and information science has been calling for an asset-based approach to teaching information literacy (IL) to raciolinguistically and socially underrepresented students (Folk, 2019). Although existing research has provided valuable qualitative insights into teachers’ and students’ perceptions of this asset-based approach, we do not know to what extent this approach is effective. In this study, I will examine how IL experience in multilingual students’ first language (L1) contributes to their IL self-efficacy (SE) in a second language (L2), through the critical quantitative approach (Stage, 2007). I will adopt the theory of translanguaging, which posits that L1 is not an impediment to learning in L2 contexts, and multilingual speakers can leverage available linguistic and semiotic resources to improve their communication and learning (García & Li, 2014). Using this theory, I will draw on variable-based and person-based approaches to explore how the relationship between L1 IL and L2 IL is influenced by translanguaging self-efficacy and transpositioning self-efficacy (transpositioning refers to breaking away from predefined language-related roles through translanguaging; it is an identity theory within translanguaging).
The variable-based approach models the relationship between L1 IL experience, L2 IL SE, translanguaging SE, and transpositioning SE. The person-based approach categorizes multilingual students into different profiles regarding L1 IL experience, translanguaging SE, and transpositioning SE (using Latent Profile Analysis) to see how students of different profiles differ in their L2 IL SE. This study demonstrates how critical theories can be integrated into the conceptualization, data collection, analysis, and interpretation of a quantitative project
Examination of Anti-Oppressive Education: Informing Faculty, Staff, and Students
Full text linkThe Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Social Justice (EDISJ) committee dedicated to supporting and advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion within the College of Information, Data and Society (CIDS) has undertaken an ongoing project (now in its 5th year) to examine anti-oppressive education in Library and Information Science (LIS) and data analytics. Anti-oppressive education actively engages with and seeks to work against systems of oppression, including those embedded in both education and professional structures. Anti-oppressive education “requires disruptive knowledge, not simply more knowledge” (Kumanshiro, 2000, p. 34, emphasis added). Library and information science education, like libraries themselves, is historically intertwined with intersecting systems of oppression, including white supremacy, settler-colonialism, and patriarchy, as well as economic and class-based oppression. This paper addresses these aspects and shares our attempts to examine oppressive education in LIS and data analytics within our college
Teaching Accessibility in a Library and Information Science MLS program
Full text linkStudents in library and information science programs need to develop the knowledge, skills, and awareness necessary to create inclusive and accessible libraries for all users (American Library Association, 2018; Jaeger et al., 2013). While there is an awareness that LIS schools need to cover these topics, surveys of LIS schools have shown only minimal increases in the number of ALA-accredited programs covering these topics in core or required courses (Gibson, 1977; Walling, 2000). LIS students are interested in practical coursework designed to support patrons and librarians with disabilities in their library spaces and services (Pionke, 2019; Pionke, 2020). There is also an increasing awareness that DEI should be expanded to DEIA to better serve patrons with accessibility needs (Burress et al., 2024). A more comprehensive look at the skills, knowledge, and strategies LIS students learn while completing their degree would help identify gaps for future course and program development.
This exploratory study examines syllabi and assignments for courses taught in the 2024-2025 academic year. Researchers interviewed faculty and adjuncts to help provide context for how accessibility was approached and examined what pedagogical tools, techniques, and mindsets were utilized. These results will inform the development of a scope and sequence to assess the LIS curriculum itself in hopes that an overarching set of structures can guide how well LIS students are prepared to meet accessibility and inclusion challenges in their professional careers.
Research questions
How are future librarians trained to achieve a mindset of inclusivity in the library and information sciences?
What types of pedagogical tools and techniques are used to teach accessibility and inclusion?
What skills and techniques are students being taught to help them measure the current accessibility in their future libraries and plan for more inclusive spaces?
Methodology
Participants will be asked to share the most recent copies of their class syllabi (2024-2025 academic year) as well as assignments or discussion board prompts that relate to the topic of accessibility in libraries. Once this data has been collected from participants, they will be asked to schedule a zoom-based interview.
The ALISE presentation of this work will provide preliminary data on this work-in-progress study and the beginnings of the identified scope and sequence.
Teaching Intellectual Freedom: Collaboration Between Academia, Advocacy, and the Law
Full text linkAttempts to censor library materials and services are on the rise, with new data indicating that it ties most of library censorship to organized campaigns. The American Library Association (ALA), the ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom, and their ALA affiliates recognize that the education of librarians about intellectual freedom is important in defending First Amendment rights. A dominant response to the need for teaching about intellectual freedom in libraries invokes a critical inquiry into library and information science content and pedagogy used in intellectual freedom teaching and learning as an authentic expression of protecting legal rights to give and receive information. The voices of enrolled students in a new intellectual freedom course at Emporia State University, School of Library and Information Management, are authentic expressions of their new awareness of how policy and law are central to effective education, communication, and efforts to unite and protect the freedom to read and support library workers at a critical time in American history. The Unite Against Book Ban campaign and Law for Librarians and Lawyers for Libraries (L4L) programs are highlighted in their active pursuit to provide excellent educational opportunities and resources, and as examples of pedagogical and curricular resources for intellectual freedom education
Building Educational Partnerships to Design Data Science Programs: Practice, Research, and Policy
Full text linkSince 2021, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) has been one of the universities hosting the Bolashak International Scholarship. The scholarship aims to prepare scholars and professionals to work on priority sectors of Kazakhstan’s economy (Bolashak International Scholarship, 2025). At UIUC, the Bolashak International Scholarship is coordinated by Global Education and Training (GET), Illinois International. In 2024, GET invited the School of Information Sciences (iSchool) to set up an educational partnership to co-host data science Bolashak fellows. The partnership was implemented through the establishment of one team representing GET and one team representing the iSchool. The GET and the iSchool team collaborate to design a one-year data science program composed of academic events, mentoring, and course audit. The data science program concept is taking into consideration the scholars’ needs and interests, and relies on data science instructors’ expertise, and previous literature on teaching data science and data science programs (Wing, 2019; Brunner, Kim, 2016; Kross, Guo, 2019; Rokem et al., 2015; Tang and Sae-Lim, 2016). Although the implementation of the program faces challenges, such as finding more faculty to participate in the program, a lack of partnership policies and definition of roles, appropriate data science curriculum for one year, the partnership is cooperative and is taking shape as a coalition partnership (Tushnet, 1993; Berliner, 1997). Co-hosting Bolashak fellows has driven a research agenda that integrates research, practice, and policies to create a data science program based upon the iSchool’s unique perspective working at the intersection of people, technology, and information
Older Adult Perspectives on Public Librarian Education in an Aging Society: Early Findings
Full text linkDespite the reality of an aging society, public library engagement of older adults is a patchwork system across the US which does not always pursue the perspectives of older adults in what should be offered. Since formal library education is a major input into library practice, this conference paper presents early findings of a multi-year study into how public librarian education can be shaped for better cooperation and systematic engagement with older adults. Grounded in the Integrative Critical Gerontology Information Framework, this exploratory study creates a schema of the skills, services, and values that 11 interviewed older adults in 1 Southeastern US community want from public librarians. The resulting schema—a product of ongoing constructivist grounded theory analysis—will be further empirically and theoretically developed with interviews of older adults in 5 additional communities across the United States, national survey, and eventual free training resource if awarded federal funding materializes.
Blank Slate Characters: Gateways to Affect and Emotion in Itô Junji’s Manga
Full text linkThis article explores the function of characters as emotional conduits in the horror manga of Itô Junji, defining and analyzing his use of what this paper terms the “Blank Slate Character.” Aligned with the realistic gekiga style that emerged as a counterpoint to mainstream manga, Itô’s aesthetic deliberately employs archetypal figures with generic features rather than psychologically complex protagonists. This article argues that these intentionally simple characters, serve as ideal vessels for reader projection, affective mimicry, and somatic empathy, precisely because of their visual and psychological neutrality. Drawing on philosophical frameworks from horror theory and film studies, this article analyzes how dynamics like asymmetrical identification and sympathy are amplified through such characterization. Through extensive close readings of extracts of Itô’s seminal works like Gyo and one of the stories from the series Tomie, this article demonstrates how specific visual strategies, particularly the cinematic use of extreme close-ups, transform these simplistic figures into a focal point of intense emotion, thereby heightening the reader’s immersion. This work further proves that somatic empathy is fundamental to Itô’s brand of horror, contending that the vulnerability of a deliberately underdeveloped protagonist makes the depiction of bodily harm more universally resonant. Ultimately, this character-building philosophy reflects Itô’s acknowledged focus on the central horror phenomenon over his protagonists. Consequently, what might be perceived as a narrative weakness—the lack of deep characterization—is actually strategic, repurposed to bypass complex psychological identification in order to instead forge a direct and powerful somatic engagement with the reader
Function over Form in Contemporary Media: The Animated Family as Case
Full text linkFamily is increasingly defined by what it does, not how it looks. It is less about biological ties and more about bonds and roles. This paper tests that claim with the anime SPY×FAMILY, which portrays a “fake” household made by necessity. Using the Olson Circumplex Model, I assess cohesion, flexibility, and communication across key scenes and arcs. The findings show how the Forgers move from cover to care. It transforms from a facade into a loving, functional unit that coordinates roles, manages conflict, and the most importantly basic act, talks more openly. On functional grounds, they meet the criteria for “family.” Social Constructionism frames this shift. Shared meanings and cultural scripts build family over time. Animation’s imaginative space helps norm‑breaking legible and safe, inviting viewers to rethink kinship and embrace diversity. When function is present, non-traditional families can thrive. This is a theory‑driven case that links on‑screen practice to public acceptance, showing how popular media model inclusive family forms and contributing to the discussion on modern family forms